Riverside, CA Business Licensing & Operations: Pawnbrokers (2026)
Key Facts
- Local permit issuer
- Chief of Police, establishment permit
- Prerequisites
- state license, business tax certificate, minor CUP
- Investigation window
- 90 days, extendable 30 more for cause
- Permit term
- expires two years from issuance
- Bond required
- $20,000 faithful-performance bond
- Penalty
- unpermitted operation is a misdemeanor
Summary
Riverside requires anyone owning, operating, or managing a pawnshop or secondhand dealer establishment to hold a permit from the Chief of Police under RMC § 5.90.060, on top of a state pawnbroker or secondhand dealer license, a City business tax certificate, and a minor conditional use permit: all before the establishment permit will even be issued.
A.No person shall own, operate, or manage any pawnshop establishment in any location within the city without first having obtained a pawnshop business establishment permit from the chief of police. No person shall own, operate, or manage any secondhand dealer establishment in any location within the city without first having obtained a secondhand dealer establishment permit from the chief of police.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 33).
Full Breakdown
355. The Chief of Police establishment-permit application, filed under penalty of perjury, must include ownership structure, a description of services, the business name and address, employee names and addresses, the applicant's five-year residence and employment history, a complete criminal history for the past ten years, and a full set of Live Scan fingerprints paid for by the applicant; the Chief of Police then has 90 days (extendable 30 more days for good cause) to investigate the applicant's character and grant or deny the permit. Each permit expires two years after issuance and is renewable for another two years.
110. Riverside Police officers are separately designated to inspect pawnshop and secondhand dealer records and premises under state Financial Code and Business and Professions Code authority.
Violations & Fines
Operating a pawnshop or secondhand dealer establishment in Riverside without the Chief of Police establishment permit violates § 5.90.060 and is a misdemeanor under § 5.90.120, punishable per Business and Professions Code § 21645 and RMC § 1.01.110(A). The Chief of Police can also revoke an existing permit for a felony or dishonesty-related conviction, a public nuisance, or a pattern of law violations, giving the holder five business days to correct a curable violation before revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What licenses does a Riverside pawnshop need before it can open?
How long does Riverside take to approve a pawnbroker permit?
What bond does a Riverside pawnbroker have to post?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Riverside
California rules heatmap·Compare Riverside to another location·View the California business licensing & operations overview
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Pawnbrokers in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle pawnbrokers.